Spray fume exhaust system



2 Shee'os--SheLel l Sept. 17, 1935. s. BRAMSEN SPRAY FUME EXHAUST SYSTEM Filed Feb. 21, 1955 Sept.l 17, 1935. s. BRAMsEN 2,014,952-

SPRAY FUME EXHAUST SYSTEM Filed Feb, 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented sept.. 17, 1935 y 2,014,962

UNITED sTATs-s .PATENT OFFICE SPRAY FUME EXHAUST SYSTEM Svend Bramsen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Binks Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware y Application February 21, 1935, Serial No. 7,635

' s claims. (o1. 91-60) My invention relates to spray-fume eliminating a deflection ofA air can only occur when the sheetsystems for protecting spray-gun operators durlike air curtain is projected upwardly at suiilcient l ing the spray-painting of the sides and the top of velocity to blow the air upwards past the entire y an object of large dimensions, as -for example a height of the object while a side of this object is railway car, bus, or motor truck. being coated, the air must pass the spray at such 5 For this general purpose it has long been cusa velocity as to deflect and scatter the spray. tomary to dispose such an object under a canopy Consequently, this arrangement wastes considerleadlng to an exhaust flue, and to reduce the able of the coating material, and makes it diffispreading of the spray fumes below the canopy cult for the user of the spraying appliance to dllO by projecting a curtain of air upwardly parallel rect the coating material accurately against the l0 to, but spaced somewhat from, the side of the obintended parts of the object side. In addition, ject which is being sprayed. It has also been custhe curtain of air moving upward at such a high tomary to produce the needed (initially sheetvelocity draws an undesirable amount of other like) air curtain for this purpose by causing comair along with it in to the flue, thereby Wasting pressed air to issue from a longitudinal slot in the the power required for moving this excess of air l5 top of an air conduit extending parallel to, and and perhaps even requiring the canopy to have a lower than, the object portions which are to be larger outlet llue then would otherwise be needed. coated. Moreover, outward swinging of a wing (in the In one of its major aspects, my invention aims heretofore customary manner) greatly enlarges 2o to provide eiective means for selectively guiding the inlet through which air can enter the canopy, 20 the air which is drawn in by a suction fan assothereby in itself greatly increasing the amount of ciated'with a flue leading from this canopy, so as excess air which must be drawn into the flue. to reduce the amount of air drawn from above the My present invention aims to overcome all ol.' top of the object while a side of the object is being the above recited objections to the use of pivoted sprayed, and so as to concentrate the elect of air-deecting wings, by providing a canopy, 25 the flue-suction on the air above the top of the shutter and twin partition arrangement in'which object when this top is being sprayed. -In this the partitions are continuously upright and are aspect, my invention provides a simple arrangemerely adjusted as to their elevation; in which ment of a baiiie, a shutter and a pair of partitions each of the partitions is continuously adjacent below the canopy, whereby the user can adjust to the plane of one side of the object which ls 30 the position of the shutter and one or both of the being coated, thereby greatly reducing the amount partitions so as to concentrate the ue suction of excess air which is drawn into the canopy along on one or the other side of the object,'or on' one with the upwardly projected air curtain; and in or the other side halves of the top of the object, which this air curtain only needs to be projected while in each case limiting the amount of outer air at so low a velocity as not to interfere with the 35 drawn into the ue along with the fumes. easy and economical spraying of the coating mal-Ieretofore it has been customary for this purterial against a side of the object. pose to use wings pivotally supported at their Moreover, my invention aims to provide an arupper edges, which wings can depend vertically in rangement of two continuously upright partition- 40 one operative position, but are swung outwardly ing members, respectively adjacent to the planes 40 about their upper edges in another position. of the two sides of the object, which will allow When thus outwardly swung, such partitioning each of these members to serve in one adjusted wings greatly increase the amount of outer air position merely as an air-ilow guiding partition, drawn into the iiue, thereby correspondingly reand in another position as a shutter to prevent ducing the effect of the flue suction on fumes from the flow of air into the one side of the canopy; 45

material winch is being sprayed on the car. and in which an additional shutter (associated Moreover, hinges or other pivoted joints are apt with the baiile) cooperates with suitable adjustto bind and stickfthereby introducing operating ments 0f the partitioning member fOr Permitting diiliculties which we avoid by using an arrangea suction fan in the flue to draw air into the ment inwhich continuously upright partitions are canopy only from along one or the other side of 5o merely raised or lowered for adjusting them. the Object, 01' flOm above the Object, according to With lsuch pivoted wing arrangements, it has the Object Dertien Which iS being sprayedalso been customary to depend (at least partly) Illustrative of my invention,

on having each wing deilect the curtain of air Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section, through when the wing is swung outwardly. Since such a spray-fume exhaust installation embodying my invention, showing the two upright partitioning members and the pivoted shutter on the baille as positioned during the simultaneously spraying of both sides of the also illustrated railway car, with the air conduct covers omitted as too small to illustrate on the same scale.

Fig. 2 is a section allied to the lower righthand portion of Fig. 1, showing the right-hard partitioning member as raised so as to serve as a shutter preventing the flow of air into the ue from over the right-hand edge of the baille, as desirable when the left-hand side of the car alone is being sprayed.

Fig. 3 is a section allied to Fig. 1, showing both partitioning members and the baille-opening controlling shutter positioned for advantageous use during the spraying of the left-hand half of the top of the car.

Fig. 4 is a more detailed enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1, showing means for guiding one of the exhaustdirecting members.

Fig. 5 is a section allied to the upper portion of Fig. 1, showing a different shaping of the canopy and the baille below the canopy.

Fig. 6 is an elevation allied to a portion of Fig. 5, but drawn on a larger scale, showing a more simple guide arrangement than that of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlargement of a lower portion of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement for adjustably controlling the thickness of the sheet of compressed air which is projected upwardly near a side of the car.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view, taken from the line 8 8 of Fig. 1 and drawn on a scale somewhat smaller than Fig. 7.

Fig. l shows part of an installation for removing the spray fumes during the spraying of the sides, ends and top of a railway car C, the wheels W of which car are on rails R partly imbedded in a concrete oor I. This floor is provided at each side of the track with a channel 2, each of which channels has all except a longitudinally slit portion I9 (Fig. '1) covered by two parallel floor plates F. 'I'hese spaced iloor plates over each channel, together with the said channel, form a duct from which compressed air is discharged in an initially flat upright sheet parallel to a side of the car. In practice the location of each such duct is preferably such that the air sheet is projected upwardly between the outlet of a spray gun G (when this gun is held at a suitable distance from the side of the car for spraying that side) and the hand of the spray gun operator. Moreover, the air being desirably emitted at a suflicient pressure for projecting this air sheet forcibly to a distance greater than the midheight of the car side, but less than the extreme height of that car side-as for example to the level L of Fig. 1.

Overhanging the entire space between the two air ducts 2 is a double canopy and exhaust outlet arrangement of which a fragment is shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. l, the canopy assembly includes an upper canopy having a horizontal top 3 provided with an outlet opening 4 leading to a flue 5 from which air and fumes are drawn into a flue outlet pipe 6 by a fan 20, this fan being here shown as rotated by an electric motor 1. The upper canopy also includes downwardly diverglng top portions 8 which preferably spread to a greater width than the space between the outward sides 2a and 2b of the two air ducts in the iloor. In addition, the upper canopy has a (desirably upright) side portion 9 depending from the outer side edge of each of the said diverglng top portions 8, which side portion desirably reaches downward approximately to the level o! the upper side edge of the tallest car to be sprayed.

Underhanging and spaced downwardly from this upper canopy is a baille of smaller spread, 5 here shown as including a horizontal top portion provided with longitudinally spaced apertures (each of which is controlled by a pivoted shutter S), and two downwardly diverglng portions II which spread to a somewhat greater width than 10 the car. The two sloping portions I I may be lntegral with the top portion IIi and suspended jointly with the latter from the upper canopy, as for example by suspending bars I2.

Depending alongside the outer longitudinal edge of each sloping portion II of the canopy is an upright and vertically movable partition P, these partitions being here shown as suspended by cables Il which permit each partition to be raised and lowered, and each of these partitions is considerably taller than the vertical distance I5 (Fig. 1) between the superposed sloping parts of the canopy and the baille in the plane of a face of that partition.

When a single side of the car is to be sprayed at one time, the shutters S are left closed, andthe partition P at that side of the car is disposed with its upper end approximately at, but not lower than the corresponding side edge of the sloping portion II of the lower canopy, as shown in Fig. 1. At the same time, the partition at the other side of the car is raised, as in Fig. 2, so as to prevent the suction of the ue fan from drawing air from last named side of the car into the space between the baille and the canopy. Compressed air is then supplied to the air conduit in ithe floor at the same side of the car, and the suction fan 20 in the ue is operated, this suction fan having a capacity for moving a much larger amount of air than that which is projected upwardly in a sheet form from the air duct at the same side of the car.

As the result of these provisions, the air intermingling with fumes from the paint spray I6 of the spray gun is forcibly drawn directly upwards (along one of the arrow line A in Fig. 1) into the space between the two canopies, and thereafter into the ilue outlet pipe 6. However, with both of the partitions P in thir lowered positions of Fig. 1, and with the motor-driven exhaust ian 20 of ample capacity, the spray fumes can thus be eifectively exhausted while both sides of the car are sprayed simultaneously.

When the top of the car is to be sprayed, the shutter or shutters S above the car are opened. as in Fig. 3, and both of the partitions are raised from their positions of Fig. l so as to extend across the spaces between the two superposed partitions, thereby causing the suction of the fan 20 to be exerted only through the openings O. 60 Consequently, this suction draws the fume-laden air approximately along the path indicated by the arrow line A2 in Fig. 3, which will be effectively closer to the car top than to the head of the man spraying this car top.

Moreover, since each upright partition is separately suspended, this partition can readily be lowered to the ground and exchanged for a taller one such as indicated by the partition widening P at the right-hand side of Fig. l. Consequently, my suspended partition arrangement enables the user to conserve power which would otherwise be wasted in drawing fresh air over the side or top of a less tall car or truck than that here shown.

To prevent a lateral swaying of the partitions,

I desirably guide each partition P by upright pairs of guides 25 (Fig. 4) fastened respectively to the two ends 26 of the canopy, the two guides of each pair being at the opposite sides of the partition. Or I may use the simpler guides 21 of Figs. 1 and 6.

In another important aspect, my invention relates to an effective arrangement for accurately directing the upwardly projected sheet-like curtain of air which carries the spray fumes away from the operator, one which will permit the initial thickness of this airsheet to be adjusted according to the nature of the coating material that is being sprayed. When this air is projected through a slot of unchangeable width, the thickness of the air sheet may be inadequate for protecting the operator from the fumes of some materials, while for fumes of other coating materials the same slot will project such an excessively large quantity of air as to waste a con- 'siderable portion of the power required for furnishing the compressed air. Moreover, a considerable waste of compressed air will also occur when the issuing air is not adequately guided between slot walls which are both of ample height and parallel to each other. tofore employed air conduits cannot readily be cleaned, for removing dust which, if allowed to accumulate, will be ejected with the air so as to mar the coating.

In this aspject, my invention aims to provide an air conduit and air outlet arrangement which will permit a convenient adjusting of the initial thickness of the projected curtain or sheet of air, which will insure an accurate upward directing of this air, and which will permit an easy cleaning of the conduit.

For this purpose, Fig. 1 shows the concrete floor I as provided with two upwardly open and parallel channels 2 respectively underhanging the two sloping portions 8 and 9 of the canopy, each channel having its axis in a vertical plane between a side web 9 of the canopy and the adjacent adjustable partition.

Extending transversely across each channel are spaced metal beams B, desirably of a figure H section, presenting horizontal Seated upon and fastened to these beams are two channel irons I6, each of which may have its lower channel webs imbedded in the concrete floor at one side of the channel as shown in Fig. '7 while presenting the top of its upper channel web slightly below the upper face of this floor.

Extending freely between these channel irons I6, and Seated also on the said beams, are two additional channel beams I1 which extend 1ongitudinally of the floor channels 2 and present their flat and upright channel backs toward each other to define an outlet slot for the air in the conduit. These air-guiding channel beams I1 are detachably fastened to the upper flanges of each beam B by bolts I8 which extend through elongated slots in the lower webs of the channel beams -I1 to perm-it the said air-guiding beams I1 to be moved toward or away from each other. Seated freely on the upper web of each channel beam' I1 and of the channel iron I1 at the same side of the channel therewith is a flat metal floor plate 3, desirably of such a thickness as to present its upper face flush with the top of the oor I, these plates being of such width as to leave them spaced by a slot I9 of a width at least as largely as the maximum thickness desired for the sheet-like air curtain.

Thus arranged, the floor channel 2 together So also, the hereupper webs.

with the two floor plates 3 constitute an air duct from which compressed air can issue only between the opposed flat faces f the channel backs of the beam I1, When these beams are adjusted so that their said opposed faces are parallel, these opposed faces guide the projected sheet of air much more accurately than slits the heretofore l proposed longitudinally slitted tubes in which the tube walls are of a thickness which is a quite minor fraction of the widthof the opposed faces 10 'of the air-outlet deflning beams I1.

Consequently, my just described air conduit arrangement enables me to project the air in a sheet which does-not spread greatly by the time it reaches the level L of Fig. 1, and which i5 can readily be such thereafter either along one of the lines A or A1 of Fig. 1, or through the shutter-controlled opening along a line such as A2 in Fig. 3, without also drawing an excessive amount of fume-free air with it. Moreover, by 20 rem'oving the floor plates 3, the user readily can reach the bolts I8 to adjust the width of the air outlet slot I9 (Fig. 7), or to clean the air conduit.

To facilitate the adjustment of this air outlet slot, I preferably weld nipples 2| and 22 respec- 25 tively to each channel iron I6 and to the laterally outward face of the adjacent slot-dening beam I1, each pair of such nipples having oppositely threaded bores respectively fitting the two ends of a bolt shank 23 which can be rotated for posi- 3o tively moving the corresponding slot-defining beam.

However, while I have heretofore described the numerous novel features of my invention in connection with embodiments including numerous 35 desirable details of construction, it is to be understood that many changes might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims; also, that my invention is not necessarily limited to the con- 40 joint use of the cooperating features here disclosed.

For example, Fig. 5 shows the canopy as having a much wider horizontal top portion, so as to reduce the head room required for it, and as 45 having no skirt (such as shown at 9 in Fig. 1) depending from the lower edge of each sloping portion 8a, With each of the illustrated cancpies, the spread of the mouth end could also be reduced somewhat, in view of the more direct 50 moving of the air curtains which we obtain by the use of the relatively tall air guiding faces of the channel beams I1 of Figs. 7 and 8.

I claim as my invention:

l. A fume exhaust system for use in spray- 55 painting the sides and top of a railway car or the like, comprising a canopy of inverted troughshape section overhanging the car and of considerably wider spread than the car; a generally horizontal baille housed by the canopy and spaced 60 both downwardly and laterally from the canopy, the baffle having an aperture; two continually upright and vertically adjustable partitions depending respectively along the side edges of the said baffleL and each adapted to be raised so as 65 to close the opening between the baille and the canopy at the corresponding side, or lowered so as to uncover the said opening and so as to extend downward considerably below the lower edge of the said opening; a flue leading from the top of the canopy, a shutter controlling the aperture in the baffle, and an exhaust fan in the said flue; whereby the exhaust fan draws air into the flue only through the space between the baille and the canopy along the outward side of one 'Z5 Cil partition when the shutter is closed and the partition is lowered to depend below the lower edges of the said. opening, while the other` partition is raised into engagement with the canopy; and whereby the said ian draws air into the iiue only though the aperture in the baille when the shutter is opened and both partitions are raised so as to extend across and effectively close the openings between the canopies.

2. A fume exhaust system as per claim 1,-in cluding means fast with respect to the canopy for guiding each partition to maintain the partition continuously upright.

3. A fume exhaust system as per claim 1, in which each outer edge of the top portion of canopy is at approximately the same elevation as the lower edge of the adjacent partition when the partition is lowered suiiciently to close one of the said openings between the canopy and the baiiie.

4. A fume exhaust system for use in spraypainting the sides and top of a railway car or the like, comprising a baille of inverted trough-shaped section freely overhanging and of wider spread than the said car, the said baille having an aperture in'its top; a canopy of inverted troughshaped section freely overhanging and coaxial with the baille; two continuously upright partitions each substantially contiguous to one side edge of the baille and each adapted to be raised until its upper edge contacts with the canopy, or lowered until the said upper edge is substantially flush with a side edge of the baie; a flue leading from the part of the canopy between the portions of that canopy with which the two partitions contact when raised; a shutter controlling the aperture in the baille; and an exhaust fan for drawing hir upwards into the flue from the space between the canopy and the baiile.

5. A fume exhaust system as per claim 4, including guide means fast with respect to the canopy for keeping each partition substantially contiguous to the adjacent side edge of the baille regardless of the raising and lowering of that partition.

6. A fume exhaust system as per claim 1, including means for controlling the position of the said shutter, and means for separately controlling the elevation of each of the partitions.

7. A fume exhaust system as per claim 1, including means for controlling the position oi' the said shutter, and means for separately controlling the elevation ot each of the partitions; the' elevation-controlling means associated with each partition comprising a plurality of flexible members extending downwards through the canopy and conjointly supporting the said partition.

8. A fume exhaust system i'or use in Spraying the sides and top of an object, comprising two superposed, normally freely spaced members of inverted trough shape, both of the said members having their longitudinal axes in a common vertical plane with the longitudinal plane of the said object; the lower of the said members being ot wider spread than the object which is to be sprayed and the upper member being of still wider spread; whereby the side edges of the lower member and the parts of the upper member at th-e same elevation with these side edges deine two air inlets, respectively outside the general planes of the two sides of the object; the lower member including a midwidth portion provided with a shutter-controlled aperture; two continuously upright partitions respectively extending substantially contiguous to the two side edges of the said lower member, each of the said partitions being movable with respect to both of the said members, from a position in which that partition eilectively `depends from a side edge ofl the lower member, to a more elevated position in which the same partition upwardly engages the upper member.

SVEND BRAMSEN. 

